Device for protecting electric component

ABSTRACT

A device for protecting an electric component for a compressor is provided, where the device is equipped with a bracket formed with an insert portion and a locking part having a locking hole, facing each other; and a cover formed with a clamp for clamping the distal end of the insert portion, and a ratchet fastened to the locking hole, and where the insert portion is formed of a plurality of projections with different length of projected portions in insert direction. This makeup enables only one ratchet to fix the cover securely to the bracket, as well as makes the cover to be resistant to fracture owing to a small distortion of the cover when detaching.

THIS APPLICATION IS A U.S. NATIONAL PHASE APPLICATION OF PCTINTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PCT/JP2006/302784.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a device for protecting an electriccomponent in a hermetic electromotive compressor used for afridge-freezer apparatus and the like.

BACKGROUND ART

Some conventional devices for protecting an electric component (referredto as “protecting device” hereinafter) with this type can be fixed witha single inserting operation. Such a protecting device is disclosed inJapanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. H02-33478.

Hereinafter a description is made for the above-mentioned conventionalprotecting device with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 is an explodedperspective view of the above-mentioned device and FIG. 8 is an enlargedside view of the above-mentioned device in a state of being mounted.

In FIGS. 7 and 8, electromotive compressor unit 10 containing itselectromotive compressing element (not illustrated) is mounted thereonwith glass terminal 15 for supplying the above-mentioned electromotivecompressing element with electricity. Glass terminal 15 is connectedwith electric components 19 a and 19 b for protecting or starting theabove-mentioned electromotive compressing element.

Bracket 20, made of a bend formed iron plate, such as a cold-rolled orhot-rolled steel plate, is fastened to electromotive compressor unit 10so as to enclose glass terminal 15. Bracket 20 is attached thereon withcover 50 for covering electric components 19 a and 19 b. Bracket 20 haslocking holes 45 on the right and left sides bend formed, facing eachother across glass terminal 15.

Cover 50 is formed from synthetic resin material such as polypropylene(PP) or polycarbonate (PC), injection molded. Cover 50 has taperedratchet 70 for engaging locking hole 45, on the inner wall surface at aposition corresponding to locking hole 45 provided on bracket 20.

Hereinafter, a description is made for the actions of the protectingdevice composed as described above.

Electric component 19 is inserted and fixed in glass terminal 15.

When inserting cover 50 for covering electric component 19 into bracket20, the following actions occur as a result that tapered ratchets 70touch the right and left sides of bracket 20 having locking holes 45.That is, the right and left wall surfaces provided thereon with ratchets70 of cover 50 are distorted outward from the right and left sides ofbracket 20; tapered ratchets 70 are fastened to locking holes 45 ofbracket 20; and cover 50 is fixed to bracket 20 with a single operation.

In the above-mentioned conventional makeup, however, in order to detachcover 50 from bracket 20, the right and left wall surfaces providedthereon with ratchets 70 of cover 50 need to be respectively distortedoutward from the right and left sides of bracket 20, to detach ratchets70 from locking holes 45 of bracket 20. Consequently, cover 50 formedfrom synthetic resin material may be largely distorted, resulting infracture.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a protecting device for a compressor,where the device is equipped with a bracket formed with an insertportion and a locking part having a locking hole, facing each other; anda cover formed with a clamp for clamping the distal end of the insertportion and a ratchet fastened to the locking hole, and the insertportion is formed of a plurality of projections with different length ofprojected portions in insert direction. Even in such a way, the entireflat surface of the insert portion is clamped when the cover is fixed tothe bracket, thus suppressing the movement of the cover with the ratchetas the supporting point.

In order to detach the cover from the bracket, only one ratchet needs tobe detached from the locking hole, which causes only the wall surface ofthe cover having the ratchet to be distorted. Consequently, this makeupallows providing a protecting device for a compressor, favorable inworkability for attaching and detaching the cover, resistant tofracture, and highly reliable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a protecting device accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bracket of the protecting device shownin FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cover shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the substantial part of the protectingdevice shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the protecting device shown inFIG. 1, in a state of being mounted.

FIG. 6 is a developed view of the bracket shown in FIG. 1, in aprogressive die.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the conventional protectingdevice.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged side view of the conventional protecting device,in a state of being mounted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Hereinafter, a description is made for an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Thedrawings are schematic, and thus do not indicate each positionalrelationship with correct dimensions. This exemplary embodiment does notlimit the present invention.

Exemplary Embodiment

A description is made for an exemplary embodiment using FIGS. 1 through6.

In FIGS. 1 through 6, electromotive compressor unit 110 containing itselectromotive compressing element (not illustrated) is mounted thereonwith glass terminal 115 for supplying the electromotive compressingelement with electricity. Glass terminal 115 is connected with electriccomponents 119 a and 119 b for protecting or starting theabove-mentioned electromotive compressing element.

Bracket 120, made of a bend formed iron plate, such as a cold-rolled orhot-rolled steel plate, is fastened to electromotive compressor unit 110so as to enclose glass terminal 115. Bracket 120 is attached thereonwith cover 150 for covering electric components 119 a and 119 b.

Next, a description is made for further details about the protectingdevice. The topside of bracket 120 is bend formed thereon with insertportion 130, and the under side is bend formed thereon with locking part140 at the opposite position across glass terminal 115. Insert portion130 is composed of a pair of projections 135 a with a long projectedportion, and projection 135 b with a short projected portion, formedbetween projections 135 a. Projections 135 a and 135 b are all formed onthe same plane. Each corner of distal end 137 of projection 135 a isprovided with chamfer 138, rounded or obtuse. Projection 135 b includesdistal end 137 b. Locking part 140 is provided with locking hole 145,punch pressed.

The projected portion of locking part 140 is smaller than the largeportion of projection 135 a, and larger than the small portion ofprojection 135 b. Locking part 140 is formed at the position opposite toprojection 135 b across glass terminal 115. Locking part 140 is formedsmaller than projection 135 b in width.

Cover 150 is formed by injection molding of synthetic resin materialsuch as PP or PC. The positions corresponding to a pair of projections135 a, at the upper part of the inner wall surface of cover 150, areprovided thereon with a pair of clamps 160 a, substantially U-shaped.The position corresponding to projection 135 b, between clamps 160 a, isprovided thereon with a clamp 160 b, substantially U-shaped. Clamp 160has a substantially U-shaped cross section so that projection 135 isinserted, and has a draft angle with its maximum clearance at theopening.

The height of the position corresponding to distal end 137 whenprojection 135 is inserted is assumed to be substantially identical tothe thickness of projection 135. The opening of clamp 160 is chamfered.The position corresponding to locking hole 145, at the lower part of theinner wall surface, is formed thereon with a tapered ratchet for beinglocked in locking hole 145.

Hereinafter, a description is made for the operation of assembling theprotecting device composed as described above. First, insert fixelectric component 119 b into glass terminal 115; insert electriccomponent 119 a into cover 150; and then cover 150 into bracket 120.

In this case, first, each of multiple substantially U-shaped clamps 160a, provided on cover 150, clamps each of multiple projections 135 a withdifferent length of projected portions in insert direction, provided onbracket 120. Clamp 160 a continues to be inserted while horizontallymoving to insert portion 130, and as a result that tapered ratchet 170on cover 150 touches locking part 140 formed facing insert portion 130,the side wall provided thereon with ratchet 170 of cover 150 deformsoutward from locking part 140. Then as a result that clamp 160 a isfurther inserted, clamp 160 b clamps projection 135 b, resulting intapered ratchet 170 fastened to locking hole 145 of bracket 120.

When fastened in this way, the clearance between distal end 137 andclamp 160 becomes minute at a position where distal end 137 ofprojection 135 and clamp 160 are clamped. Clamping at such a minuteclearance occurs at different positions in insert direction on the flatsurface of insert portion 130. Therefore, even if multiple substantiallyU-shaped clamps 160 have draft angle for injection molding, a clampedposition at a minute clearance exists at each distal end 137 and clamp160. That is to say, clamping is made at multiple different positions ininsert direction, on the flat surface of insert portion 130.Consequently, an environment for a fit can be achieved where the entireflat surface of insert portion 130 is clamped with a minute clearance,thus suppressing looseness between cover 150 and bracket 120 withratchet 170 as the supporting point.

Next, in order to detach cover 150 from bracket 120, only one ratchet170 needs to be detached from locking hole 145. Ratchet 170 can bedetached as a result that only the wall surface of cover 150 providedwith ratchet 170 deforms, eliminating fracture caused by cover 150largely deforming when being detached. This makeup further enables cover150 to be securely fixed without looseness, and provides favorableworkability in attaching and detaching.

In this exemplary embodiment, insert portion 130 of bracket 120 isprovided on the topside of bracket 120, thus uniformly covering theentire flat surface of insert portion 130 with cover 150. Consequently,this makeup prevents water ingress into cover 150 when water flows downfrom an upper part of cover 150.

In this exemplary embodiment, the distal end of projection 135 a withthe longest projected portion projects from the distal end of lockingpart 140. Consequently, when inserting cover 150 into bracket 120, ifonly projection 135 with the longest projected portion is inserted intoclamp 160 a, remaining projection 135 and locking part 140 areautomatically inserted in decreasing order of the length of projectedportions. This results in easy and proper installation work wheninserting cover 150 into bracket 120.

In this exemplary embodiment, the corner at distal end 137 a ofprojection 135 a with the longest projected portion is provided withchamfer 138. Chamfer 138 thus tapers distal end 137 a and works as aguide in an insertion process, resulting in easy positioning forinserting projection 135 a into clamp 160 a when inserting cover 150into bracket 120, and further improving workability for installation.

In this exemplary embodiment, projection 135 b with a short projectedportion is arranged oppositely to locking part 140, and projection 135 bis larger than locking part 140 in width. Such a makeup enablesprojection 135 b with a short projected portion to be laid out combinedwith locking part 140 for production material when bracket 120 isdeveloped as a planer shape shown in FIG. 6. Consequently, when formingbracket 120 using a progressive die, for example, the production costcan be reduced, as wasted material is reduced.

As described hereinbefore, it has been conventionally assumed that atleast two fixing parts are necessary in order to fix the cover withoutlooseness. Therefore, the cover has been fixed with two ratchets.Meanwhile, the cover according to the present invention has a makeup inwhich the cover is positioned to a position other than the ratchet, anda part of the cover clamps the bracket in order to stably fix the cover.Further, one ratchet, which is the minimum, is provided so that thecover is not easily detached. Consequently, the present inventionprovides a protecting device favorable in workability for attaching anddetaching the cover, resistant to fracture, and highly reliable.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

A protecting device according to the present invention can be applied toa protecting device of any compressor such as a refrigerator, airconditioner, or fridge-freezer apparatus.

1. A device for protecting an electric component comprising: a bracket fixed to a compressor unit, the bracket having a fixing portion, an insert portion and a locking part having a locking hole; and a cover made of resin having a clamp into which a distal end of the insert portion is inserted and a ratchet that is fastened to the locking hole, wherein the insert portion including the distal end and the locking part protrude from the fixing portion in the same direction.
 2. The device for protecting an electric component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insert portion is provided on an upper side of the bracket.
 3. The device for protecting an electric component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insertion portion has a plurality of projections, a distal end of a projection with a longest projected portion of the projections projects beyond a distal end of the locking part.
 4. The device for protecting an electric component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insertion portion has a plurality of projections, the distal end of the projection is chamfered.
 5. The device for protecting an electric component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insertion portion has a plurality of projections, a projection with a short projected portion of the projections is arranged oppositely to the locking part, and the projection is to be longer than the locking part in width. 